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Five charged with drug-related offenses

By Duane Barbati

dbarbati@alamogordonews.com @DuaneBarbati on Twitter

Posted:
10/21/2013 09:51:27 PM MDT

Gregory Wood (Courtesy photo)

The Otero County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Enforcement Unit arrested five people for various drug-related offenses and seized almost three ounces of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana over a two-week period, Sheriff Benny House said.

The narcotics unit also seized 58 narcotics pills that included MDMA (also known as Ecstasy), Vicodin, Carisoprodol, Alprazolam and Hydrocodone pills, House said.

He said NEU agents successfully executed a search warrant at 1407 Seventh St., in Alamogordo on Oct. 9.

House said Andrew Padilla Jr., 35, was charged with three counts of fourth-degree felony possession of a controlled substance (cocaine, methamphetamine and Alprazolam) and one count each of petty misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) and drug paraphernalia (digital scale).

Andrew Padilla Jr. (Courtesy photo)

Padilla was jailed at the Otero County Detention Center in lieu of a $16,500 no-10 percent bond pending his appearance in court.

House said the warrant was based on information received from a confidential informant.

During the execution of the search warrant, agents, sheriff's deputies, a Border Patrol K-9 unit and Alamogordo police made contact with Padilla, he said.

House said agents, deputies and APD officers located a pill bottle, a digital scale, a glass pipe used for smoking narcotics and a hypodermic syringe in Padilla's pants pocket.

He said law enforcement found 36 alprazolam pills, which is a Schedule III controlled substance.

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House said while searching Padilla's residence, police also found 0.5 grams of cocaine, 0.3 grams of methamphetamine and 6 grams of marijuana.

In a separate, unrelated warrant on Oct. 12, sheriff's narcotics agents, deputies and a Border Patrol K-9 unit searched a home just west of Alamogordo at 80 Smith Ave., as well as on a 2000 Hyundai four-door car.

As a result of that search, House said Uriel Cadena, 26, was charged with one count of fourth-degree felony possession of a controlled substance (cocaine).

Alina McKinley ( Courtesy photo)

Cadena was jailed at OCDC on a $5,000 no-10 percent bond pending his appearance in court.

House said law enforcement located about two small jeweler's Baggies containing a combined weight of one gram of cocaine inside Cadena's vehicle.

On Oct. 14, House said the sheriff's narcotics agents learned that Seven A. Williams was in possession of about 1.5 grams of methamphetamine.

He said Williams, 37, was charged with one count each of fourth-degree felony solicitation to commit trafficking a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and tampering with evidence.

Williams was jailed at OCDC in lieu of a $15,000 no-10 percent bond pending his appearance in court.

Seven A. Williams (Courtesy photo)

House said agents located Williams behind a fast food restaurant on South White Sands Boulevard.

After they spoke with Williams, they found 1.5 grams of methamphetamine in Williams' possession, House said.

On Oct. 15, agents executed a narcotics-related search warrant on an Alamogordo home at 2004 Stapp Ave., he said.

House said Gregory Wood, 51, was charged with one count of second-degree felony trafficking a controlled substance by possession with intent to distribute (methamphetamine), one count of special penalty misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and petty misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

Wood was jailed at OCDC in lieu of a $21,500 no-10 percent bond pending his appearance in court.

Uriel Cadena (Courtesy photo)

House said law enforcement made contact with Wood inside the residence and found two hypodermic syringes in the driveway, a small amount of methamphetamine, a glass pipe used for smoking methamphetamine, a jeweler's Baggie containing 0.2 grams of methamphetamine and a digital scale in the kitchen.

House said police also found methamphetamine of various amounts in separate jeweler's Baggies throughout the home totaling 3.17 grams of methamphetamine.

He also said law enforcement found 6.4 grams of marijuana in the home.

Otero County law enforcement officials confiscated several drug-related items last week in various narcotics-related searches. (Courtesy photo)

He said Alina McKinley, 23, was charged with one count of fourth-degree felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (marijuana), five counts of fourth-degree felony possession of a controlled substance(MDMA, Vicodin, Carisoprodol, Aloprozolam and Hydrocodone) and one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

McKinley was jailed at OCDC on a $31,000 no-10 percent bond pending her appearance in court.

House said upon execution of the warrant, deputies located McKinley at the apartment.

Subsequent to the search, he said law enforcement found a glass jar containing suspected marijuana residue, a black digital scale, a grinder, a marijuana smoking pipe and an candy tin containing 22 pills. House said the pills were identified as one red pill marked with MAX, or Ecstasy (MDMA), two Alprazolam pills, three Hydrocodone, five carisoprodol and 11 Vicodin pills.

He said law enforcement also found a glass jar and two plastic Baggies containing hydroponic marijuana totaling about 66.2 grams.

"The Sheriff's Office is seeing an increasing trend in hydroponic marijuana, which is a high grade of marijuana, in the Alamogordo area," House said. "Due to the high levels of THC in hydroponic marijuana, it's sold in grams and at a higher price. In past years, marijuana was sold by the ounce. Otero County has seen an increase of hydroponic marijuana in our citizens' possession. If our citizens find a family member smoking hydroponic marijuana or find it in their possession, they should be aware that it is extremely potent and the effects are intensified. If someone encounters a family member or loved one smoking it, they should take it very seriously and take the steps necessary to help them refrain from using it. We want to make the public aware that this type of marijuana is in our community. The effects could cause some people to have adverse reactions and serious side effects."